Palegoldenrod

I’m listening to Amos play his new cello. We went to a local music store today – it was having a sale of slightly damaged goods following the floods we had.

I bought my nephew a birthday gift of a cheap little violin – he adores mine and loves music. Amos, after eyeing off a flute for a while, spotted a cello in the corner. No case, an old bow, some small gouges around the edges – it must have been knocked around a bit as a result of the storms. It was less than half price, and he didn’t take long to decide he wanted it.

My house is now overwhelmed by all things musical – we have:

• 3 assorted hand drums
• a violin
• a guitar
• a harmonica (key of C)
• an electronic keyboard
  
• a flute
• a piccolo
• an Irish tin whistle
• the new cello
• an Ubuntu Studio computer (for making an manipulating audio, graphics and video)
• a strange mix of sheet music abandoned in odd locations – Leonard Cohen on the dining table, Irish folk music on the floor…

Its a wonderful thing to have so much music in the house. When I was living alone I used to have the TV on in the background, mostly for noise – the house was too quiet. Now there is always music, and I am usually involved. We try new sounds, pass on tunes and fragments of songs and rhythms. I didn’t appreciate how much fun it can be to make music with someone else.

The only musical person in my immediate family is my brother and he didn’t start learning to play guitar until after he moved out, so the house wasn’t really musical when I was growing up.� Until recently none of my friends played instruments. I’d not jammed with anyone until Amos moved in, so I was pretty nervous when I first played in front of him. But he’s very accepting of my poor playing (omg, what patience, or he is mercifully deaf, maybe!) and we just play around with the noises until we find something we like.

Anyway I’m soon to be off to bed, no doubt falling asleep to him still playing downstairs, his fingers quickly learning the ways of a new instrument, keen to master it. It’s a pretty cool way to fall asleep

Goodnight guys.